Violent Wasteland
by BridgeFlyingBlues
Summary: A criminal empire will be toppled. Two hardened hearts meet amidst the chaos...is it love, or lust? The streets of Konoha City have always been a brutally Violent Wasteland. NejiGaara, SasuNaru
1. Chapter 1

1Disclaimer - Don't own! Don't own Billy Joel's Uptown Girl either.

_Violent Wasteland_

He tapped out the cigarette in the palm of his hand, barely wincing at the malodor of burnt flesh. The night air wound it's way around his body with gentle strokes, as the sounds of traffic rumbled steadily in the distance. All was quiet.

Or should have been, had a slow tapping not shattered the facade.

Usually the docks would be deserted this late, which was the reason Gaara had chosen it as the place to hold his 'interrogations,' but it seemed he'd been careless with his customary sweep. He could feel the presence of someone out there, someone who shouldn't be.

Freeing the safety of his gun, the red head began whistling an old nursery rhyme, grinning at the thought of a murder in addition to the night's activities.

"Gaara...?" A spiky blonde head popped out from inside the warehouse. "Uh, the guy's lost a lot of blood, and he keeps blacking out...Um, what should we do?"

Gaara scowled, and without turning around, issued his orders. "Have Kiba cauterize the wounds, then shoot him up with another dose of heroin. That'll keep him awake for awhile."

His associate, Naruto Uzumaki, nodded his head and quickly disappeared back inside the building.

Gaara smirked wickedly at the other man's departure. He absolutely loved having people jump to do his bidding, with no back talking, and no complaint. It made his job go so much more smoothly.

Everyone fucking feared the Demon of the Suna district. Just as they should.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..."

Slowly Gaara moved through the shadows, ducking between buildings and behind crates that had yet to be stored or shipped off. The absolute silence of his steps was astonishing, giving due credit to his surname, 'the invisible death.' He listened again for a tell tale shuffling of feet, heavy breathing, or even the slow taps he'd caught earlier.

"_Up town girl, you been livin' in your white bread world, lalala..." _

He chuckled darkly. Well, that worked too.

"_Bet you never had a back street guy, lalala..."_

The cadence was definitely feminine, though not pleasantly so, as Gaara thought a woman's voice should be either soft and airy or low and sultry.

And this woman's voice had neither of those qualities.

Wincing at another sour note, he slipped around a corner and caught sight of the harpy who was shrieking that God-awful song. Short tufts of pink hair bobbed in time to her erratic movements, branding her an obvious drunk. She knocked into a crate and apologized profusely to it before continuing on, her heels buckling slightly with each step.

_Scratch that being drunk part_, he mused, _she was fucking cocked off her ass._

Gaara slowly stepped forward, sliding the gun into his waist band at the small of his back.

"You. Bitch."

The growled words cut the air like razor wire, shocking the woman from her demolition of Billy Joel.

"Uh, wha...?"

Swinging around dizzily, she gripped her purse as if it were a life line in a world of spinning roller coasters. The woman swore to herself she would never indulge in more than three Bloody Marys again, if she could just survive this night without puking all over the place, or - she looked up at the scary man a few feet away - being messed up.

"...Any reason you're out this way? So late, too?"

Sakura blinked and began to back up slowly. "Naw, hic, man, just out with some girls. You know, turnin' a couple tricks. Gotta little drunk with my john see, hic, not smart in this business, I know, but hey! Hic, how can ya turn down a good stiff one?" She began laughing, almost tripping over her stilettos.

"Little working girl humor, hic, sorry."

Gaara didn't even quirk his mouth in response.

Finding herself very uncomfortable with the situation, the pinkette tried to pull things back onto more familiar ground. Well, close to it anyway, as the ground kept bobbing up and down.

She blinked, grinning drunkenly at him. "Anyway baby, hic, I'm always up for some more fun. How's about a quickie, hic, I'll even charge ya half price, since I scored, hic, big tonight anyway."

The red head moved silently forward, reveling in the fear he felt spilling off her in waves.

"...Not tonight," he slammed her body against the wall by her neck, the stench of her perfume making him want to gag. "Baby."

Retrieving his gun, he shoved the muzzle into her mouth, feeling a morbid curiosity as to how many times she'd had to swallow something long and hard in her line of work.

Pulling the trigger, he felt nothing, not even the slight curiosity.

With warm blood splattered across his face, Gaara watched the woman slide bonelessly to the floor, only a red, coagulated streak marking her descent.

He fucking hated hookers. They were lazy ass bitches, who needed to get themselves a real job.

Wiping his face with the car rag tucked in his pocket, he began the short trek back to the warehouse, knowing Kiba would whine about being the guy assigned to clean up.

But it was like he said. He reveled in being the one _everyone _jumped for.

**23rd Precinct, Konoha City, 0900 hours**

"Sakura Haruno, prostitute we've picked up approximately...wow, seventeen times. Found this morning in the Leaf River, shot once in the head at point blank range."

Neji picked up his coffee, frowning at the wet ring the mug had left on his finished paper work. It annoyed him when things weren't neat and tidy, a surprising fact as police work had to be the messiest, most untidiest work out there.

The former, however, was exactly the reason Neji Hyuuga, seventh generation law enforcement official, had been attracted to the shield.

Solving a crime was like putting the pieces of a puzzle together; neatly locking the grooves and angles so they created a picture that would lead him to the 'bad guy.' From there, apprehending said guy was usually easy, and the criminal would then be left to the capable hand's of the D.A (1).

It was simple really.

Neji curved his pale eyes in amusement. "Not much of a loss, I'd think."

Shino snickered from his seat on Neji's desk, a stub of a pencil hanging from his mouth as he continued to read. "Man, what a mess. Half her head's missing. They couldn't find the bullet either."

"Just makes our job that much harder."

Shino hopped down from the desk with practiced ease and held the papers out to his partner. "You better believe it, mother fucker."

Neji lifted an eyebrow. "You watch too much cable TV, did you know that?"

"Hell yes. Not like I'm fuckin' anyone anyway, so why not enjoy the invention of Pay Per View porno?"

"_Yeah, 'cause a glass screen is the closest you've ever gotten to wet pussy."_

The two men turned at the alto-ish tone, a collective sweat drop between their heads upon seeing their boss, Tsunade, giving them the mother of all glares.

She had to be at least fifty, but every male in the room would've been a liar if they said they didn't want to fuck her three ways from Sunday.

Guess the old adage about wine getting tastier with age could be applied to their captain as well.

"Hyuuga, Aburame, in my office now!"

Too bad she was such a bitch though.

Shino lowered his shades a bit, staring directly at Neji with his inky black eyes. "What the hell did we do this time?"

Neji just shrugged his shoulders and, ever the one resigned to his fate, quickly followed Tsunade into her corner office.

"Move it Aburame!"

Shino growled.

Hands folded on her desk, Tsunade quietly studied her two top officers as they settled into their chairs.

Shino Aburame. Twenty five years old, two and a half years on the force, and an excellent track record so far. He had an ingratiating personality, that seemed to soothe most people enough for them to let their guard down.

And that was when he pounced.

Neji Hyuuga. Twenty three years old, four years on the force, highly commendable track record so far. He was practically a golden boy of the Precinct, having acquired his badge at the young age of nineteen. But then again, this was expected, as he was the nephew of one Hiashi Hyuuga, the current mayor of Konoha City and retired officer after thirty-one years active service.

It was quite a lot to live up too, but the little punk, as Tsunade liked to think of him, seemed quite capable of handling it.

"So," She began, "how have my two favorite boys been?"

One pair of eyes blinked at her, as the other merely shifted in his chair.

She smiled in that sickly sweet way of hers. "Guess we don't feel like chatting this morning do we? Well that's all right, I didn't feel like exchanging pleasantries with a bunch of dip shits like you anyway."

Neji sighed. "What the hell did you call us in here for Captain? I'm sure a session of boot licking can be left up to Shizune with much better results."

"SHUT THE HELL UP HYUUGA! YOU KNOW JACK SHIT ABOUT THAT GIRL! SHE'S WORKED HARD TO GET INTO THE POSITION SHE HAS TODAY!"

Shino just snickered and muttered to his partner. "Yeah, the perfect position to go carpet diving."

Neji desperately tried to smother his laughter.

"GRRAAAHHH! YOU STUPID! ARGGG!"

Suddenly a heavy stapler bounced off of Shino's head, as a torrid Tsunade made choking motions with her hands.

"I HAVE NO IDEA WHY I DON'T JUST FIRE YOUR ASSES!"

Shino rubbed gingerly at his skull, an aggrieved scowl on his face. "Maybe 'cause we work for the city, and that makes it damn hard to 'fire our asses'...?"

Neji shook his head in pity at his partner. "You really don't know when to stop do you, Aburame?"

A few curses, and thrown objects later, Tsunade finally launched into the reason why she'd dragged them into her office.

"You know that new case you got? The prostitute?"

Neji took up the role of speaker, as Shino was currently nursing a fat lip. "Yeah, Sakura Haruno, brought in seventeen times. Charges never stuck."

"Right. Well, it seems her death is connected to the Suna Syndicate."

That instantly got both men's attention.

Tsunade smirked. "Thought you'd like that. Anyway, we got an anonymous tip about checking the west wharf's security cameras."

Neji narrowed his pale eyes. "Tell me you got an ID on the guy."

"Unfortunately...no. The camera's front light had been knocked out months before, and the image resolution was ridiculously low. We were able to ID the prostitute, but her killer was barely discernable." She grinned at her boys irritation. "However, we know for a fact that wharf is owned by Kakashi Hatake...and I'm sure you know who he is."

Neji lifted an eyebrow with interest. "Presumably, he's the leader of the Suna Syndicate, but it's not known for certain."

"Please, that's lawyer crap. What do you believe in your gut, Hyuuga?"

He grinned. "That we follow every lead until it gets cold."

"Absolutely right. So, with that said my boys, I have a proposition for one of you."

Both of them leaned in closer, not wanting to miss a word.

"I need someone to go in undercover. If we can't topple this God-damned criminal empire once and for all, then I want to at least nail the son of a bitch who murdered that girl." She paused. "And if my hunch is right, he's the same son of a bitch who's assassinated half the political leaders in this city."

_Dun, dun, dun...TBC_

Note - so, how does everyone like this first part, hmm? I'm not sure if I just want to One Shot it, but I like the idea so much I might continue. I got a great dynamic ready for Sasuke and Naruto. You'll just love what Sasuke does for a living...he he he. Of course, this will be mainly Neji/Gaara. But this shit isn't going to be all 'mew, mew, I'm a troubled prissy bitch, please fuck my with your steel rod of power!' Come on. Neji beats the shit out of girls without feeling even a little bad. Look at him, he's such an ass! Gaara. Don't even get me started. THE GUY MURDERS PEOPLE WHO LOOK AT HIM WRONG! I don't think either should be eternally topped by the other. There like, cool. Heh, sorry about the vent-age. Anyway, to **Trekiael**, my apologies about '_Fan_.' As it happens, I usually work on two or three stories at the exact same time, and I mean at the same time in two windows ;) and I meant to add that comment at the end of _Fan _to the other story I've been working on dedicated TO YOUUUU. I kinda work on these at like, 2 and 3 in the morning, so I'm not exactly at my best mentally. I'm like Gaara in that insomniac-y aspect. Woo. But I'll have that drabble out for you soon, hun, I just hope this little ficy makes up for it. Somewhat.

Blows kisses and runs around screaming like an idiot.


	2. Chapter 2

1Disclaimer - don't own!

_Violent Wasteland_

Neji wrapped his hands around a hot cup of coffee, staring out of his booth window at the people passing by. Condensation fogged up the glass a little, and he smiled, as the sight evoked a sudden and childish reaction in him. Delicately, he traced a finger across the cool glass, painting a stick figure of bitch Tsunade yelling at him.

Drawing in a gun shooting at her head as well, Neji could still feel no better about the situation he'd been put in.

Or better yet, the situation _she'd_ put him in.

His Captain had known, _she had known_, that anything involving the Suna Syndicate would have his undoubted attention, and he despised the woman for using it against him.

Going undercover might mean months, possibly years, just building up enough trust for him to even _begin _fishing for more secrets. But, his 'fishing' could very well provide the undeniable evidence needed to arrest Kakashi Hatake, or at the very least, some of his top men.

_And..._

Neji couldn't help the painful constricting of his chest at his next thought.

_He might even find the man responsible for his father's...death._

_Stop._

Rubbing at the bridge of his nose, Neji made a concerted effort to move away from such blathering fancies. If fate was kind, someday he might find that..._fucking murderer_...but he wouldn't put too much stock into something as flimsy as hope.

Shino would, of course, make his own reply to Tsunade's offer depending on Neji's the next day, and Neji felt immensely grateful for that. With the way his mood was going down the crapper, he didn't think he could battle Shino for the assignment without drawing blood.

It was a strange compatibility, their partnership, where Shino usually pushed, and Neji usually pulled.

Flicking his finger across the remnants of preserve from his plate of blueberry pie, Neji felt an inexplicable loneliness seep into his bones.

Shino was one of his only friends now; even his family barely spoke to him.

The pale eyed man slowly licked off the sweet filling, a small, bitter smile lifting his lips at the taste.

**An empty parking lot, the center of Suna District, three hours later**

"Gaara, what the fuck are we doing here?"

The irate blonde puffed hard at his cigarette, making a desperate attempt to appear as tough as the man he had spoken to. Unfortunately, while Gaara had looked exactly like a 'seductive killer' smoking his cigarette, Naruto somehow ended up looking like a malnourished kid sucking on a pocky stick.

Fuck. He had the worst luck.

Saying nothing in response, Gaara leaned back against the side of his corvette.

"OI! You givin' me the silent treatment now? Man, what the hell is your problem!"

"...Shut up. If Kiba isn't here in five minutes, we leave. Hatake has given us a new target, so we have some prep to do."

Naruto growled lightly, crossing his arms in annoyance.

"New target, huh? Pah, just as long as we don't have to deal wi-"

"YO! Sorry, 'm late! The 'Y' broke down somewhere near sixty-ninth and third, so I had to jet it over here on foot!"

Grinning even though he'd been cutoff, Naruto wrapped an arm around Kiba's neck in a choke hold and proceeded to noogie him until he cried 'Uncle.'

Gaara rolled his eyes at the disgusting display of affection.

"Get in the fucking car you losers. We have to go visit the Uchiha."

Kiba frowned a little, sliding a quick glance at his friend to see how he took this statement. It wasn't news that Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha had ended their relationship with a viscous falling out, but what _was _news however, was the fact that Naruto hadn't gotten over the bastard. Not by a long shot.

The mad dog of the Suna district winced at how pale Naruto had become.

"B-but, um, Gaara, can't I just wait...outside?"

Gaara almost wanted to say okay to the sad request, but managed to restrain himself. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply, annoyed at all the soap opera bullshit.

"I'm sorry Uzumaki. You know Uchiha will do things for you he'd never do for us. Even though he works for Hatake too, the boy marches to his own drum. Just as we do."

Naruto let the cigarette drop from his mouth onto the cement, where he slowly stomped it out. Somehow, the circles under his eyes had become more pronounced, and his formally bronzed complexion took on a grayish tint. He looked sick.

Heart sick.

"Yeah. Let's go."

**Residence of Sasuke Uchiha, 124th and Oakview Place, Suna District, Konoha City**

Naruto felt like his stomach was being attacked by a thousand psychopathic butterflies, and his mouth tasted of dirt and cotton. He couldn't breathe. His legs felt like lead, but wiggled like jelly.

_That man's _hoity-toity loft in the nicer part of Konoha, held so many memories the blonde was sure he'd embarrass himself by throwing up all over the doorstep or bawling his eyes out. He did _not _want to do either.

He wanted to appear as cool and collected as Gaara.

_As fucking icy as Sasuke had been when he said he didn't love-_

"Hey, Naruto. We're here. You wanna ring the buzzer?"

The blonde blinked, and quickly nodded his head yes in response.

_Well, here goes nothing_.

Stepping up to the auto lock door, Naruto punched the buzzer to 4E. He would never forget that apartment number as long as he lived.

The crackling of static was all he heard for a moment, before a man's voice, _Sasuke's _voice, issued through the receiver.

"Who the fuck is it, and what the hell do you want?"

Naruto almost laughed, fuck he almost cried, at the sound of his former lover's tone. He'd almost forgotten how much he adored that voice...And how much it hurt him.

Breathing deeply for a moment, he fumbled for a cigarette, his lighter, _anything _to fortify himself against the approaching confrontation.

"...Dammit, whoever's fucking out there better answer or I'll-"

Releasing a lung full of smoke, Naruto cut the Uchiha off before he got on a roll. "Hey, Sasuke. It's me."

Silence was his answer. But it wasn't like that was a big surprise. Silence had always been his answer, no matter what the situation...even at the end.

"...I'll buzz you in."

Naruto nodded, though the other man couldn't see him. He knew that tone too. It was the tone saved for guests. Polite strangers.

People below Sasuke's station, who annoyed him with their continued existence.

The blonde didn't think it was possible for his heart to break again, but it kept doing just that. Folding, and folding, and folding into itself until there was nothing left.

He smiled despondently as he pulled open the door and moved inside.

Naruto began the slow climb up the stairs, hardly hearing the stomps of his friend Kiba, and the measured foot steps of his Boss. He pushed open the door to 4E - he knew it would be open, as some things never change - and followed the rotten eggs smell of sulfur toward the left side of the loft.

He choked on the acrid fumes of his cigarette when he finally caught sight of _him_.

Sasuke was standing in front of a large pile of dynamite, jeans slung low on hips, no shirt, the butt of a cigarette hanging from his mouth. He ran long, elegant fingers through his hair, dark eyes burning everything up in sight with their inset anger.

He reached down to swipe up a red stick - affording Naruto a pleasantly painful view of his ass - and pinched off a quarter of the fuse.

"I didn't expect to see you again, Dobe."

Upon muttering these words, Sasuke then turned around and locked eyes with a pair of deep sea hues. The Uchiha wouldn't admit he'd missed those lovely eyes like crazy for the past six weeks...four days...thirteen hours...twenty minutes...and forty-seven seconds.

No, he wouldn't admit it, because admiting it would mean he was wrong. And Sasuke Uchiha was never wrong.

So, he just smirked his impossibly sexy smirk.

...And Naruto merely smiled his sad smile in return.

_Why does it hurt?_

Flicking a match to cover the emotion in his eyes, Sasuke lit the dynamite, practically choking on his laughter, his pain, when he saw Gaara and Kiba's faces. He then shifted his black stare towards Naruto. The blonde hadn't even twitched an eyebrow.

His little Dobe would never fear him, no matter what threats he levied.

Chucking the stick across the room, straight over the threesome's heads, he muttered bitterly. "Fire in the hole."

A ridiculously huge explosion rattled the building, and sent a tremor half way down the block.

Sasuke Uchiha, demolitions expert. He liked to blow things up, almost as much as he liked to blow cute little blondes.

To bad he'd again lost his current, and favorite, cute little blonde.

Eyes watering, and hands trying to wave away the black smoke, Naruto stumbled forward, straight into Sasuke's waiting arms.

The pungent fumes quickly dispersed through the ventilation system, leaving the air as clean as before. A couple angry, half hearted yells could be heard on the street outside, though most in the neighborhood knew to either get used to the Uchiha's insanity, or move.

"Comfortable, Dobe?"

Naruto snapped his eyes open, taking in the pale stomach his face seemed to be buried in. He quickly loosened the death-like grip his fingers had on Sasuke's denim.

Red tinted his cheeks, but it wasn't embarrassment.

He felt a hand squeeze his ass.

Okay, maybe it was a little embarrassment.

"OI!"

Yelling, Naruto popped up and back wards, making sure to put at least five feet of distance between the two of them.

Sasuke slowly raised his hands in mock defense. "I was only checking to see if you were all right."

"MY ASS IS FINE, THANK YOU!"

Sasuke grinned lasciviously. "Yes, yes it is."

Finding the tenseness in the room annoying, Gaara moved forward, getting in the way of Sasuke's view of the blonde. The red head then rubbed angrily at a spot of soot on his brand new _silk _tie.

Fucking Uchiha. He always had to buy new clothes whenever he came over here.

"We have business, Mr. Uchiha. I'm sure Hatake has spoken with you."

Frowning, Sasuke began to edge towards the side, trying to catch sight of his ex-boyfriend again.

"Yeah, Kakashi-pervert contacted me."

Kiba and Naruto looked uncomfortable at the familiar insult dealt towards their boss, while Gaara merely blinked, and waited for more to be said.

Growling in frustration, Sasuke stopped trying to see around Gaara, as the man would just move to block him.

He sighed. "Look, you're mission requires a sharp shooter. You've worked with them before, go find yourself one, and leave me alone."

Gaara rolled his eyes and motioned for Naruto to come out from behind him.

The blonde slouched, a mulish expression on his face as he spoke to his ex.

"Fuck you, bastard. I know you can set us up with a shooter in five seconds flat. So whip out that magic Rolodex of yours and find us one. _Now_."

Sasuke appeared inscrutable for a moment. In truth, he was just trying to restrain himself from pouncing, as his little blonde was just too hot when he was trying to be mean.

But Sasuke couldn't help himself. "I'll whip out my _magic Rolodex_, don't you worry about that, Dobe."

Naruto snorted at the innuendo, hooding his eyes so he could study the other man without reprisal.

...His hair had gotten longer. He looked tired too. The blonde wouldn't admit how painful it felt seeing his former lover unwell, but that didn't stop him from moving forward and kicking him in the shin. He'd always acted on impulse, which was probably the reason they'd become involved in the first place.

"You look like shit. You never sleep enough, douche bag."

Sasuke didn't even lift an eyebrow. "It's lonely here at night, so there's no need to."

Naruto flinched as if he'd been slapped, and put the much needed space between them again.

Kiba growled darkly from his perch in the corner. "Just get on with it, _Uchiha_."

"Shut the fuck up, Inuzuka."

"You wanna take me on bitch!"

"Any time, anywhere, you retarded mutt."

Kiba surged forward, menace lighting his animal eyes.

"Enough!"

The two potential opponents glared at Gaara, as the man deftly unbuttoned his cuff links.

"If you wish to continue, I will take out my gun and not hesitate to shoot you both in the head. Now, Uchiha, if you will please do as Uzumaki requested."

Sasuke slid his gaze so it rested on the bright mop of Naruto's hair; the shorter man staring out a wall window at the people who scurried below.

He felt something icy seize his chest, but chose not to examine the feeling to closely. "...Give me two minutes."

It took less time than that for Sasuke to come up with a name for them. _She_ could get them a sharp shooter in about twenty-four hours. Though the Uchiha hated working third person, at the moment it couldn't be helped. It _was_ short notice after all.

"She is known only as Ten Ten. The address is on that paper, along with a contact number."

Naruto crunched the paper in his fist, as he glared up at Sasuke.

Why did the bastard make him want to hug and kiss him one moment, and then lash out like a wounded animal the next?

The blonde knew the reason, and it killed him inside.

"Bye then, Sasuke."

The door shut hard in his face. He fished around for another cigarette - a surprising fact was that he never smoked until he met Sasuke - and stared mournfully at the half bent one in his hand.

"I need some ramen."

Kiba patted his shoulder and promised to treat the younger man to a big meal of it.

Note - AWWWWW! it's so sadddd. Kay, hope you guys won't yell, but I changed the character narrowing in my settings to Sasuke and Naruto, just so I could get a couple more reviews. It's still my favorite coupling, Neji/Gaara, but now Sasu/naru will have a strong place in there too. They're both going to be major players in this story. Woo...looks like I've got some hard work in front of me then! Better get started!


	3. Chapter 3

1Disclaimer_ - _aw, don't make me repeat myself! I don't own okay?

_Violent Wasteland_

"_O-oh God! P-please, G-god! STOP, GOD, DON'T HURT ME!"_

Naruto grimaced slightly at the horrified scream, tucking his head deeper into his jacket. He really hated it when the Boss made them listen in on his torture sessions. It was just...fucking gross.

Flicking his eyes to the right, Naruto quietly studied his friend's reaction to the yells. Kiba continued to hum as he ripped pieces of jerky for his Shepard Akamaru, not even a twitch for the man currently _dying _close by. Now, the blonde knew he'd himself participated in a thousand of these 'sessions,' but found he still couldn't be _that _bloody calm.

And it pissed him off.

Puffing out his chest with false bravado, the blonde struggled to harden himself against the screams, his twitching eye the only sign of his discomfort.

"Heh. Nice try, Naruto. Why don't you think of something else. That usually helps."

Naruto released a huge sigh of air, a self-deprecating glower aimed towards his friend.

"You'd think this wouldn't bother me. Fuck, Kiba, I've killed men with only my fists and teeth, and listening to this shit turns my stomach."

Kiba patted his dog fondly, as the pup licked his master's hand in a returning gesture of gratitude.

"It's different when you listen to a man die. Much different from when you're hopped up on adrenaline, fighting to the bone to see which one has the right to live. I don't like listening to this disturbed crap anymore than you do, but the Boss is try'na teach us somethin'; somethin' important."

"_OH GODDDD...!"_

Naruto shifted in annoyance. Christ, he wanted to kill the stupid fuck himself, just to make the damn screaming stop!

"Oh yeah? Like what, Kiba?"

He shrugged. "Hell if I know. He's the Boss, it's impossible to tell what the fuck he thinks anything he does is going to accomplish."

Naruto blinked for a moment. "Kiba?"

"...Yeah?"

"You're an idiot."

Kiba growled and punched the blonde upside his head.

"Ow! The hell didja do that for?"

Still cursing under his breath at his so-called_ friend_, Kiba reached for the cell phone he felt vibrating in his pocket. He grumpily scanned the caller ID.

_Number Unknown._

Frowning, he flipped it open.

"What?"

"_I got you boys what you needed. Be at the Charemonte Hotel, room 696, one hour. Tell your boss I want my money wired to the off shore accounts I gave him. I will know if it's been transferred or not."_

"Right."

The dial tone now ringing in his ear, Kiba shoved the phone back into his pocket and moved quickly to deliver the news.

He inched the warehouse door open, just enough to catch a whiff of stale blood and urine. "Boss! That Ten Ten chick just phoned, she said we got an hour to get to this hotel to meet the merchandise!"

Gaara slowly slid his eyes up at the shout, annoyance evident in his face at the interruption. Deftly, he wiped clean a blood soaked scalpel, and placed it back into his case of implements, as he sighed over not being able to kill his little 'toy' like he wanted too.

The snitch currently tied up and bleeding his life out onto the floor had been responsible for the incarceration of over a hundred of Hatake's men. So, in tried and true fashion, Gaara had been dispatched to take care of this 'problem' with his special brand of pain.

Kakashi liked him because he was good at a mind fuck.

Smirking coldly, the redhead turned and watched the slow, watery breathing of his victim, as the man struggled valiantly to stay conscious.

"I'm sorry you and me couldn't prolong this longer. I was having such a good time too." He clucked his tongue with amusement. "You know what I think? I think you stupid teenagers just don't have the stamina your betters have. Can't keep up with me at all, and that's a shame."

Gaara hooded his moss colored eyes, as he slowly licked the blood from his fingertips.

"A crying shame."

Retrieving a gun from one of his shoulder holsters, he pressed the muzzle against the other man's forehead, an insane grin stretching his lips. He didn't need to imagine some fantasy elsewhere to cope with what he was about to do, and that fact alone would always separate him, the Boss, from his loyal lackeys.

"_Oh...Godddd..."_

The resounding bang didn't bother Naruto or Kiba much either, but it startled a couple seagulls from their perch on the wharf, as they quickly flew off in the direction of the sinking sun.

**One hour, Charemonte Hotel, outside room 696**

Gaara blinked at the gold-painted numbers, raising his hand to knock sharply on the door.

"It's open!"

Slowly twisting the knob, he stepped through the entry way, taking stock of his surroundings with a single glance. It was spartan, clean, and smelled faintly of the perfume found in department stores. Gaara grunted at the thought. He really _hated _perfume _and _department stores.

"Ah. Mr. Sabaku. So glad you could make it with-" the woman seated on the bed glanced at her wrist watch, "-only minutes to spare."

The redhead said nothing, moving further inside to where he could see, and catalog, the room's only noticeable occupant. She was a fair skinned young woman, mousy brown hair tied in two pigtails - which he figured were meant to give her childish look and thus have men underestimate her - and a simple red Chinese dress, slit to the thighs to provide her movement.

Or a tactic to seduce.

"You know...Uchiha said you were an excellent assasin, but he never mentioned anything about how handsome you were. I do _so _have a thing for red heads."

Gaara rolled his eyes at the simpering bitch. He had to end a perfectly good torture session for this kind of crap? Thank heavens he'd never particularly liked the 'fairer' sex, as they were far too conniving for his tastes.

"Where's the merchandise?"

The woman smiled in a coyish sort of way that made Gaara's skin crawl.

"Oh, I see. All business, just like the Uchiha."

Gaara chose to remain silent.

Sighing, Ten Ten adopted the same business like manor, her girlish tone instantly evaporating.

"I saw only half the agreed upon amount has been paid to me. Why is this?"

Gaara grinned darkly, enjoying the fact he could make her skin crawl too. "...Insurance. You'll receive the rest upon closure of our deal."

"...And," she cleared her throat, moving her eyes restlessly away from him, "how do I know that you'll keep your word?"

He held up a cell phone. "I'll make a call before leaving this room, and you can check your balance then."

"...Alright. That seems fair."

The red head nodded.

"Wait here a moment, please."

Moving silently into the next room, Ten Ten couldn't help the shudder that wracked her body. The man was like a crazy..._fucking _raccoon! His smile was a sick, twisted version of happiness!

Fiercely she promised herself that this was the last time she helped out a friend, on _either _side.

"Neji?"

Tall, and cooly confident, the uncover cop stepped out from inside the bathroom, quickly mopping up the water he'd splashed across his face. His features were stony as he looked towards the female.

It seemed it was time to begin the show.

"Hm."

**_Some twelve hours previous..._** (Italicized, bold, signals a flash back, instead of a change of scene)

"_I'm glad you decided to take on this assignment Hyuuga. Though Aburame is every bit as capable as you are, I believe your natural tenaciousness_ _will suit this case better."_

_Neji inclined his head deeply, accepting the praise with neither theatrics of modesty nor boastfulness. He saw this statement for what it was; simple, unassuming fact. _

"_However," Tsunade looked up pointedly from her paper work, "I expect you won't let that ass stubborn personality of yours land you in a pile of shit."_

_Neji blinked stupidly, unable to ascertain where exactly the grudging praise had morphed into bitting insult._

"_Uh, ma'am?"_

"_You heard me Hyuuga."_

_Neji growled darkly, choosing the later of two evils and remaining silent. The last thing he needed to do was piss off the woman giving sanction to his new assignment._

_Though he could think of a couple 'particular' words to describe **her **personality as well._

_She smiled that cruel smile again._ _"You're one fatalistic bastard, Hyuuga, and it amuses me to watch your natural instincts battle against that inevitable belief."_

_Neji was probably saved from being fired - even if they did have a rather close working relationship, he doubted **assault **__would be something a Precinct Captain would tolerate - by the phone ringing at that moment._

_Tsunade frowned and snatched up the receiver. "What!" She paused. "Right..."_

_Neji just rubbed a temple, looking on in irritated silence._

"_Uh-huh."_

_Making vague, noncommittal sounds every once in a while,Tsunade continued to listen intently to whoever it was that spoke._

"_Well tell him we don't have the man power to-!"_

_His eyes widened at the pinched, unhappy look that came across her face, which usually only occurred when she was being cut off. Neji wondered for a moment just who had the power to infuriate his Captain so much, and wished, silently of course, he could shake said person's hand._

"_Graaah! Yes, fine, oh dearest fucking brother 'o mine! Good day!"_

_Shifting her eyes uncomfortably, she spun her chair around so as to be out of view of the now curious Neji Hyuuga._

_She mumbled quietly, but he still caught what was said, and couldn't stop the amused snort that escaped him._

"_Err, Iloveyoutoo, Jiraiya."_

_With a bang the phone was hung up, and Neji schooled his features back into his usual mask of inscrutability, as the captain whirled herself around again._

_She didn't look embarrassed at her parting words, however, but instead looked preoccupied, and just a little bit more like the fifty year old woman she was._

_Neji, though he'd never admit it, was very concerned by this change of mood, but opted not to voice his thoughts. He instead pushed it to the back of his mind where other things that were none of his business lingered, and if the Captain wanted to tell him about it, well, he would listen._

_Tsunade began again. "...Anyway, as you know we've managed to find a little hole for you to crawl through into the ranks of the Syndicate. Your contact will be a woman named Ten Ten, and the less you know about her, the better. The person you will pose as will be Nori Ishikawa(1)," She handed him an envelope containing one ID and one credit card under his now, assumed name._ _"Make **sure **you remember that. We've falsified a couple credentials as to your 'profession' from now on, but as soon as you learn of your target, you inform us immediately. We'll put him under heavy guard, so that a sniper assassination won't be the optimal method for these people. They are, after all, like the proverbial 'snake in the grass' and wouldn't want to cause a large debacle. Silent-but-deadly is their M.O."_

_Neji nodded as he assimilated this information, but still felt one small detail bother him._

"_Captain-" He paused for a moment, unsure as to how to word was he was about to say. "Tsunade. Do you think that...that these people could be responsible for my father's..."_

_Tsunade let her eye's soften a little, and interrupted him before he could finish. "I'm not sorry to say no, Neji(2)...Christ, I don't give a fuck what family you come from. Your still too fucking young to be doing this, especially when your doing it in part for revenge. Fucking Hyuugas."_

_Neji sighed and gave a small chuckle in reassurance of his Captain. Like he needed a mother. He'd already had one, thank you very much._

"_Look, your father's murder was over ten years ago, and this latest wave of assassinations, really kicking high gear only three years ago, is completely different in pattern. And I would also think the assasin would be quite a bit older now, and probably not up for the mass wave murdering that's gone on."_

_He was quiet for a moment. "...Do you think this guy I'm going to meet is the one responsible for all of them? The assassinations, I mean."_

"_...Possibly. But there's enough deviation in the murders to suggest other sects of assasin too. Heh, perhaps they're vying for the position of Kakashi Hatake's number one for-hire, high profile assasin._"

_Neji was silent, so Tsunade took this as her signal to continue._

"_That bag," she motioned to large, black duffle in front of her bookshelf,"has any and all gear you may need. A rifle, two automatics, some Teflon body armor, and," she coughed_, _"a couple little odds and ends I had lying around my private collection. You never know."_

_Neji lifted an eyebrow. "Captain Tsunade, is that even legal?"_

_She glared in return. "Do you really think anyone in this whole dirty Precinct, is going to really give a shit what I give you?" She sighed. "Hyuuga, you know even **Aburame **could walk out of this place with twenty kilos spilling from his pockets, and not be looked at twice."_

_He grunted softly. It was a sad truth, but a truth nonetheless._

"_And just one of the reason's I haven't mentioned any of this business to anyone. As far as they know you're going on a vacation." She grinned, feeling suddenly vindictive. "With a woman. A hot woman. With big ass hooters_."

_Neji smirked as he stood, and moved to gather up his bag full of 'party favors.' Before he exited the room, however, he couldn't help one final parting shot, even if it was uncharacteristic of him._

"_Hm. But Captain, I thought this was my 'vacation,' not yours?"_

_He chuckled evilly as he slammed her door, hearing the screams of outrage that were coming from inside._

**Hotel Room, Present**

"He's creepy, Neji. Watch yourself, okay?"

Neji glanced down at the petit woman, managing, although with great effort, to give her a small reassuring smile.

"Ms. Ten Ten, it's Nori now. And thank you for the warning, but it's not required."

She sighed and grabbed a wool shawl from a chair that had been sitting near a window.

"Sorry, but Ms. Tsunade doesn't want one of her best working cops injured. Or worse."

He grunted irritably, wanting to slap the woman for her foolishness. Dammit, the man who'd be hiring him to _kill _people was standing in the next room, and she was blurting out all these things? She might be dooming him herself, if she didn't shut that trap of hers.

Neji rubbed at the bridge of his nose. He could feel a headache coming on, but that was what he got for barely sleeping the night before. No wonder he'd been feeling so unusually bitchy that day.

"Ready to go, Neji?"

But then again, he might have good reason.

"..._Nori_, Ms. Ten Ten."

"Right. Don't worry, I won't do you wrong."

Why did he feel like he was going to die? He watched as she applied another layer of red lipstick. Right. His life was in the hands of an _idiot_.

Winking at him, Ten Ten turned and headed towards the door, shawl draped comfortably over her shoulders. Neji followed, duffle bag slung over his shoulder - Teflon strapped on just in case - and sunglasses shoved in place. He sighed, feeling an utter sense of finality envelop him.

Lights. Camera. Action.

Moving quietly into the next room, Neji scanned it for the guy who, if everything went all right, would be his new 'boss.' He didn't see anything though, until...

"Took you long enough."

The Hyuuga narrowed his eyes, discerning from the shadows in the corner, the figure of a man.

Slowly, said man stepped forward.

Neji waited two beats before releasing a low hiss of air he hadn't realized he'd been holding. Suddenly, he felt like an idiot for being so nervous, and slightly amused at the stature of the man who'd be purchasing his 'services.'

He had to be like...five foot nothing. His hair was a flaming red color, and he wore an ankle length black trench coat, a black shirt and pants. It was such a stark juxtaposing of hues that Neji felt his eyes blink rapidly even from behind his sunglasses.

The man stepped further forward, a look of annoyance flitting across his face when he realized he had to tip his head back to address the other.

Neji, for his part, couldn't help the lightening quick smirk that passed over his mouth, gone only a second later when he noticed the man growling.

So, the Hyuuga did the only thing he thought appropriate for the situation. He shrugged.

The red head wasn't growling anymore, but he was frowning quite deeply.

"You got credentials, Mr...?"

Neji was silent in response, hearing Ten Ten become animated enough to initiate introductions.

"This is Mr. Ishikawa. Nori Ishikawa, Mr. Sabaku."

Neji mentally thanked the woman for not screwing up, and then lifted an eyebrow in ponderation. Sabaku, huh? Interesting name.

"What are his credentials?"

Scathingly, Neji put in his two cents. "I can talk ya know. I been ova' seas fo' a while, been doin' jobs in a couple different countries wheres the political radicals are at unrest ya knows? Killed that old man, oh wuz his name - ah! Hajin Kelikmer, that right wing nut who the officials thoughts wuz gettin' to much power, yada, yada, yada. Hmm, did a couple men and a woman from the Defected Wind Country organization-"

Gaara growled and cut off his potential sniper with a question directed at Ten Ten.

"You have some recorded proof of what he's done, I suspect?"

She snorted. "Of course. I went to thirty of my contacts to have him checked out, and they all found the same thing. He's actually quite notorious in Wind Country."

"Feh. Wind Country is a backwater, sewage dump out in the middle of no where."

"...He is also making himself a reputation in Water Country as well."

Gaara smirked. Now _that _was something worth his interest.

"...Good enough for me. We'll have you do a practice run, just in case there's any discrepancy between your skills and your kills." He paused for a moment. "But I'm telling you now, if that is how you always talk, your not getting the job. And I might have to kill you out of moral obligation."

Neji smirked in response, and Gaara felt something thunder down his spine he hadn't felt in a long while.

Attraction.

"...Don't worry about it. I went to school and learned how to talk nice, all right?"

"_FUCKING HELL, BOSS! SHIT, GET DOWN HERE NOW!"_

Two shots rang out suddenly in the darkness outside, a couple more echoing soon after.

The red head swore vividly as he stormed out the door.

Neji just grunted and followed after at high speed, his cop side kicking in at the sound of gun fire.

**Twenty four hours previous...** (This isn't a flashback per-se, simply because no one is actually remembering what's happening, but is more plot fodder for my growing inferno.)

Sasuke continued doing a hundred down the abandoned highway, his thoughts absorbed by the sudden re-appearance of his...little blonde.

He shouldn't be thinking about him, but he was. Just like he _had _been thinking about him, every day, since the moment they'd broken up.

It fucking hurt and it wasn't fair.

Sighing, Sasuke glanced at the cell phone in his passenger seat, and argued with himself for the fiftieth time that day about calling his brother. He still owed Itachi that much.

_But you work for Kakashi, as you have been, for the past five years._

It was still his brother though.

_So? You severed all ties when you came to Kakashi._

Had he? Had he ever really?

_Where is your loyalty to the man who accepted you without strings?_

Sasuke gripped the steering wheel hard, feelings of betrayal welling in his gut.

But it still didn't matter, he told himself. Blood would always be thicker than water. And _his _blood was the thickest.

Smirking now, Sasuke snatched up the phone and pressed three to speed dial the elder Uchiha.

On the third ring, he heard the distinct click of a pick up.

"_...Allo?" _("...Hello?" )

Sasuke frowned for a moment, but easily switched over to the foreign tongue. As a child he'd learned a cool baker's dozen of languages, so it was hardly a bother to him now. He couldn't help the slight chuckle that escaped him however, when he thought about how many times Naruto had yelled at him because he'd started arguing in another language. But it had made fights with the blonde so very entertaining though.

"_Itachi."_

"_Ah! Mon cher petit frère. Comment vas-tu?" _("Ah, my dearest little brother. Have you been well?")

"_Ferme la, Itachi. J'appelle juste pour te dire quelque chose. Ce s'ra la dernière fois que j'le f'rai, pigé?" _("Cut the crap, Itachi. I just called to tell you something. It will be the last time I ever do so. Do you understand?")

Itachi smiled boredly, signaling a passing waiter to refresh his tea. He'd been in France for the last couple months, enjoying the view in the Water Countryside.

"_Oui, oui, je comprends. Alors, qu'est-ce qu'il y a?" _("Yes, yes, I understand. Now, what is it?")

Sasuke paused for a moment, as he negotiated his Mercedes around a particularly tight corner.

He grunted. _"Un ami à toi, celui qu'est riche et qui vient d'une famille respectable, a été pris pour cible pour un assassinat." _("A friend of yours, the high roller from a respectable family, has been targeted for assassination.")

"_...Tu pourrais pas être plus vague, cher frère?" _("...Can you be anymore vague, dear brother?")

Sasuke snarled. _"Ecoute, c'est le plus que tu obtiendras de moi. Sa famille a une longue histoire comme la nôtre et il est riche. Je te suggère de le prévenir du danger." _("Look this is the best your gonna get out of me. His family's got a long history like ours, and he's wealthy. I suggest you warn him of the danger.")

Itachi was silent for a moment, before he spoke again. _"Merci, Sasuke." _("Thank you, Sasuke")

The younger Uchiha smiled bitterly, saving the most important thing he had to say for last. Sometimes family are the only people who understand, even if theirs _did _have a severely fucked up dynamic.

"_Il m'a quitté." _("He left me.")

Itachi frowned for a moment, confused as to who his brother was talking about.

"_Ce dobe m'a quitté!" _("That Dobe, left _me!")_

The elder Uchiha sighed, feeling the beginnings of a tantrum coming on. But he now knew who his brother was talking about. He couldn't say he was surprised really, since this 'breaking up' thing happened on and off for years, and every time it did, Sasuke would yell once at Itachi and then they wouldn't speak of it ever...until it happened again.

Truly, the blonde and his brother were both children and shouldn't have been in a relationship in the first place.

"_Oui, tu avais raison et il avait tort, comme d'habitude." _("Yes, Sasuke. You were right, and he was wrong, as usual.")

His younger brother was quiet and Itachi wondered a little at this new disposition of his.

"_...Et s'il ne revient pas cette fois?" _("...What if he doesn't come back this time?")

Now, Itachi wasn't any kind of normal brother in the warm, familial sense, so he really had no idea what to say to this. So he did the only thing he could think of. He consoled him the Uchiha way.

"_Arrête de pleurnicher. Tu es un Uchiha, alors agis comme un Uchiha espèce d'idiot. N'importe qui ayant goûté a nos bites revient toujours." _("Stop mewling. You're an Uchiha, so act like one you fool. Anyone who has had our cock, always comes back.")

Sasuke sighed and murmured his thanks, before he hung up.

Somehow calls with his older brother always managed to bolster his spirits.

_TBC..._

Note - WHEWWW! That was a long ass chapter! I know Itachi is obviously way OOC here, but hey! It's an AU, so obviously all the messed up shit didn't happen...or maybe it did? Dun, dun, dun. AND ALSO! MY MEGA DANCE HAPPY THANKS TO **TREKIAEL **FOR THE SUPERB TRANSLATIONS! She did a lovely job, and as a wink and nod, I may use a little french later, and hope she'll do the translations again! I just love french. As for me, I took a class in Latin for four years, and realized a couldn't really use it 'cause, well duh, it's a dead language! But it helped me improve my vocabulary. But I just love the way when you hear ppl speak french, it sort of rolls off the tongue so beautifully. Like someone could tell you to go fuck yourself in french, and really all you can do is moon over how pretty it sounded. Sigh. Anyway, a couple explanations/definitions.

(1) - Nori Ishikawa. I looked up that Nori means "law, or rule" I'm not sure if that's true or not, but if it is, it's kind of interesting. Neji the cop, law, rule, meh, it connects. I think it also means a plant of some kind, but what do I know?

(2) - As you can see, Tsunade referred to him by his first name here, which she hadn't done up to that point. I know she comes off as a bitch, but mostly it's the fact she's one of the rare non-dirty Captains, hell, officers, in the entire city. That's gotta cause some strain. Also, she views Neji as too young to be working as a cop, even worse that she's mostly forced to put him undercover, because 1) Like I said she has only a few of her officers she can trust, and 2) he was the one that accepted, as Shino refused. Going undercover is, and I emphasize this, A VERY DANGEROUS JOB. As I will be extrapolating on in future chappies.

REVIEW AND STAY TUNED!


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